Placer-amalgamator.



No. 835,195. PATENTED NOV. 6, 1906. w. H. MORGAN. PLACER AMALGAMATOR.

APPLICATION FILED HAB- 20, 1906- Wifiwasas;

Maw,

UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

PLAcER-AMALeAMAToR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 6, 1906.

Application filed March 20, 1906. Serial No. 307,013,

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. MORGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Placer-Amalgamators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus which is especially designed for the purpose of recoyering fine and flake'gold and gold contained in slimes.

It consists in the combination of mechanism and in details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the sluice containing my apparatus, one side of the sluice being removed to show the interior. Fig. 2 is a section showing the bottom troughs. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the side troughs; Figs. 4 and 5, perspective views of the troughs.

In carrying out my invention I employ a sluicebox A, which may be approximately about twelve feet in length and from two feet upward in width, conforming to the width of the line of sluice or flume to which it is attached. The bottom is made of sufficiently thick plank. The thickness of these planks may be about three inches, and the thickness of the side planks may be about two inches. The box is preferably clamped with frames 2. The bottom of this box is grooved longitudinally, as shown at 3. These grooves are approximately one and onehalf inches apart, and into them are fitted copper troughs 3" three-eighths of an inch wide at the top and about three feet ten inches in length. The tops of these troughs are flush with the bottom of the sluice, and they may be charged with mercury. They are made V-shaped to prevent gravel or sand from becoming clogged in them, andthey are made deeper at the upper ends than at the lower, so that the level of the mercury may be maintained when the sluice-box is set on an incline, as will be the case in use.

Strips of steel or iron 4 coverthe spaces between the troughs, and they are of sufficient thickness to withstand the wear of heavy boulders or rocks which may pass through the sluice-box. The sides of the sluice-box for a distance-of about a foot from the bottom have sunken channels adapted to receive copper troughs 6 about half an inch wide at the top. The surface of these troughs I is all that is exposed, the tops being about two inches apart, and the spaces between are protected by steel or iron strips 7, held in place by bolts 8, passing throughthe plank and fastened on the outside ends with nuts. The samebolts hold the strips and troughs in place, as shown, and they are so disposed that the parts can be removed when cleaning up in order to recover the amalgam contained in the troughs. These side troughs are also disposed at an incline, with the lower ends enough higher than the upper ends to make them substantially level when the sluice-box is set on an incline. These side troughs are especially useful in recovering the fine gold which is held in suspension in the water and the material passing through the sluice-box.

Transversely across the sluice-box and above the parts heretofore described are fixed rods 9, and upon these rods are suspended flexible amalgamated copper strips 10, which depend from the rods into the water and material which passes through the box. They are preferably hung loosely by hooks and rings, so that they will not impede the passing of the material through the box and will swing out of the way when boulders or rocks are assing. The independence and flexibility 0 these strips cause them to be continually agitated by the passing stream of material, and they will thus be brought into contact with the stream by reason of the agitation thus caused.

By disposing the sluice in short lengths, overlapping, as shown, they are more convenient for removal and cleaning up.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1.' An amalgamator comprising a sluicebox having longitudinally-disposed channels in the bottom, parallel copper troughs fitted in said channels adapted to contain mercury, said troughs being deeper at one end than at the other to maintain a uniform depth of mercury therein, and protective plates fixed to the bottom between said troughs.

2. In an amalgamator, the combination of an inclined sluice-box, and longitudinallydisposed mercury-containing troughs fitted in the bottom of said sluice, said troughs having a greater depth at the upper end than at the lower end to maintain a uniform depth of mercury therein.

3. In an amalgamator, an inclined sluice box having parallel grooves or channels made in the bottom, V-shaped copper troughs hav ing a greater depth at the upper than at the lower end, said troughs being sunk in grooves with their upper edges substantially flush with the bottom of the sluice and containing bodies of mercury, metal-protecting plates fixed to the bottom of the sluice between the troughs, and a series of independently sus-- pended and .movable amalgamated copper strips, the lower ends of which dip into the material flowing through the sluice.

4. In an amalgamator, an inclined sluice having parallel grooves or channels made in the bottom, copper, mercury-containing troughs sunk in said grooves and having their upper ends deeper than the lower ends to retain the mercury, metal-protecting plates covering the bottom between the troughs, said sluice having grooves made in the sides, copper troughs sunk in said grooves and intermediate protecting-plates between the troughs.

5. In an amalgamator, an inclined sluice having parallel grooves or channels formed longitudinally in the bottom and copper mercury-containing troughs fixed in said grooves, said troughs having the upper ends deeper than the lower, said sluice having channels made in the sides, copper troughs sunk 1n posed, said grooves and troughs being so disposed in the sides of the sluice as to stand substantially level with relation to the incline of the sluice, and metallic protecting-plates covering the floor and sides of the sluice be- -tween the troughs.

6. In an amalgamator, an inclined sluice having parallel longitudinal grooves or channels in the bottom, and copper mercury-containing-troughs sunk in said channels, said sluice having grooves or channels in the sides, copper mercury-containing troughs sunk in said side channels having a substantially level bottom, metal protecting-plates fixed to the sides between the troughs, and bolts by which the plates and troughs are removably secured.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses,

WILLIAM H. MORGAN.

I/Vitnesses:

S. H. NoURsE,

D. B. RICHARDS.

said channels with their upper surfaces ex- 

